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SECURITY ANNOUNCEMENT

CVE-2026-99222

2 November 2026

keyctl_read_key() checks key->type->read without holding key->sem. A reference keeps the key alive, but does not pin the module containing its type. A surviving RxRPC key can therefore be read while AF_RXRPC is being unloaded:

KEYCTL_READ task Module unload and key GC ---------------- ------------------------ lookup_user_key() permission / possession checks load key->type af_rxrpc_exit() unregister_key_type() GC: down_write(key->sem) GC: retype to key_type_dead GC: up_write(key->sem) unregister_key_type() returns free_module() read saved type's read member

The final access can read freed module storage. The read invocation in __keyctl_read_key() is already protected by key->sem, but the earlier method check is outside that critical section.

Move the method check into __keyctl_read_key(), after key_validate() and under its existing read hold on key->sem. The check and invocation then use the same protected type for length queries and every read retry. The GC cannot retype the key until the semaphore is released, and type unregistration waits for that GC pass before the module can be freed.

Return -EOPNOTSUPP when validation succeeds and the type has no read method. A temporary buffer may now be allocated before this result; allocation and copying to userspace remain outside the semaphore.

Introduced

5.7 d3ec10aa95819bff18a0d936b18884c7816d0914

Fixed releases

5.10.273 e5f830ae6611cddbfc504c43f14155f60b63206a

5.15.224 ff11cfed85cbfdd7fe1185ebd18d2c7a8353ad8d

6.1.191 1486caee47b4909f52835a957c3293e970113e44

6.12.115 6a36e2a1a017c51f8a8ad2a094566bad97c46a9b

6.18.60 3edc064069d07e7d37359fcb4d03d3bab15ee3ab

6.6.161 ff44f1b303aa76a818d898e85c56ed4852c031e2

7.2.14 cf1af7df80e38bf58bd74c2cccce32fcbd1a596a

7.3.1 e2a2deda08d91644f5e30c17d267b1cdc5f124b2

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